Taking 7 Month Old to the Beach

We took our 10 month old to the beach a couple of years ago and he had a blast! I would definitely take a pack 'n play for him to sleep in, and most definitely take beach toys. I would also recommend Desitin or Balmex because you may find that he eats enough sand to poop out a sandcastle and that can be a little harsh on the bottom. I also loved the spray sunscreen because when they get covered in sand it's hard to spread lotion on them. I wouldn't try to bring anything that's not essential, like a portable high chair or swing because it's a short trip. I held my son on my lap while we ate or kept him in the car seat carrier. One last thing that I just remembered was a beach umbrella or better yet, a sun tent. We ordered one from One Step Ahead and used it whenever he seemed a little fussy or on the rare occasion that he fell asleep. It's also a nice place to put a food and beverage cooler. Have fun at the beach!

Hi L.. I would def have wipes handy and wet a washcloth or papertowels and put them in a baggy before you go to the beach. If your 7mo old loves the beach he will have sand everywhere, he will eat it and roll around in it and love it. Having wet papertowels was a great way to get the sand out of my son's eyes and face and hands. Have a great time!!!! S.

hi, i used baby powder to get the sand off of my little guy. a hat that ties/velcroes beneath chin is a must, since my guy continually attempted to take his hat off when not strapped on. i brought his little popup tent down to the beach three times, and he preferred to play on my beach chair instead, so i would say a beach chair with a canopy might be a better bet. have fun!

L.

If you have a jogging stroller, they navigate the sand much better than other strollers. Plenty of fresh water to drink and rinse sand off of faces, hands, and everywhere else. Something for shade such as an umbrella. Don't overdo how much you lug down to the beach because you'll have to lug it all back too. More than one hat, lots of sunscreen and a good sense of humor! Have fun with it and just go with the flow of your little one.

Last year we took our sons to the beach for the 1st time. Ages 4 and 8 months. Things that we took and needed were: 1. a fold up stroller. He was sitting by himself, but it helped in the sand. He could sit there and didn't eat much sand that way. 2. An umbrella that hooks into the stroller. This way he was shaded and we didn't have to rent one of those huge beach umbrellas. 3. A hat with the tails in the back of them (bought at Target) to keep his head and neck protected from the sun. 4. His pack and play. He slept in it at the hotel and we could also put him in it to play in. The hotel floors were tile and he wasn't walking yet. Hope that helps.

The tent is a must because you can lay the baby down to sleep out of the sun. The one we got was made specifically for babies - it might have been from The Right Start catalogue. Bring your baby monitor if you're renting a house because you may want to sit out on the deck while the baby's sleeping. Have fun!

Hey L. -

great suggestions from all the other moms. YES on the blow-up pool....but digging a deep whole to fit a sand bucket filled with water works too. My kids loved it...and it was the perfect solution when my husband was turning blue trying to blow-up the pool (ha). YES on some type of baby tent. I picked up a graco one at target 5 years ago...and we are still using it! Great for naps on the beach. YES for baby powder - the BEST at getting sand off. YES on a TON of sunblock (that goes for the whole family -hehe). Have a blast..we're going to beach in two days. At least your little guy will sit still for sunblock application...I'll be the mom running down OCNJ beach chasing two boys : )

Have fun!!

Hi L.. I took my 7 month old to the beach a few weeks ago. The biggest thing that I recommend is sunblock and we purchased a half-tent looking thing. I'm sorry I don't know the actual name. We were able to set it up on the beach and it had a floor. It kept my son (and even myself) out of the sun and it was great for naptime. He really enjoyed playing with the big blow up ball we had. I also recommend the patches that show when your child has been out in the sun too long and need to reapply sunblock. I hope you have a great time!

We took my daughter to Ocean City when she was just three months old, and my biggest concern was the heat, being that it was the middle of the summer.The two things that helped the most were using one of those portable fan/water misters to keep her cool, and putting our beach blanket under the boardwalk. I know that sounds weird, but it was in the shade, and was very cool, so I didn't have to worry about the heat at all. Ocean City (NJ) has a huge pier(the Music Pier) that makes this possible to do.I don't know what beach your going to, if this is possible to do or not. If not, I think you can rent cabana style tents on most beaches to give you some shade.Hope that helps!
Enjoy your vaca!
S.

1. Skip the high chair, get a booster (safty first has one that folds up, I think it was called the fold n go - available at Wal-mart). We left ours in the trunk at all times for dinner at grandma's, playdates, and anywhere else that we wanted our escape artists to sit still for any length of time - I even used it in a shopping cart once@!
2. The clam shell thingie was great, but we had a t-shirt or swim cover up on at all times. It may seem silly, but 15 minutes of sun on a 7 month old can be a sunburn. We lived through that! Also, you need to follow the directions on the sunblock - put it on 30 mins before you head to the beach, reapply every 2 hours.
3. You will be shocked on how much you DONT need! Pack light, and have FUN!

At that age sand always seemed to be the issue for us...we used to bring some baby powder with us and use it to easily remove the sand from my son. Just sprinkle some in your hands and rub on his sandy legs/arms and the sand comes right off....

have fun and enjoy

p.s. the list gets much shorter as they get older so hang in there!

be prepared in case he doesn't like the beach! My 2 oldest LOVE the beach. But the baby (she's 2) absolutely HATES it! We just got back from vacation, and she hated every minute at the beach. She cried and wimpered the whole time! She did the same thing last year, too! I had hoped that she'd have gotten past it, but no!

not sure about the beach since we've only been once, but one of those beach cabanas look good.
Also, in reference to your son's tempermant: Read some Dr. Sears literature, esp the "Fussy Baby Book" even if he is isn't "fussy". Your description sounds like a "High Need" baby, which we have. Its very validating, plus good suggestions.
Also, find info on baby "tempermants" (not sure if spelling is right), on google or in books on Amazon. Just a few pages will clue you in to where your son stands.

I know the beach or any sunny spot would be alot easier if our baby would wear a hat.
So we need to slather scalp suncreen all over his head.
He just rips hats right off. Does that sound like your son, too?

Hi L.!

My daughter (now 3) and I go every year. Daddy is working so it is usually just the 2 of us. The best thing I have ever purchased was a wonder wheel cart (just saw it this week at BJs for $20) to carry everything to and from the beach. A wagon would do too. At this age an unbrella should provide enough shade since they don't move around too much. Take some fresh water to the beach. It comes in handy to clean out their mouths or bottoms. Take plenty of diapers and clothes/swimware, change them often. Their little bodies are not used to salt water. Remember to put on the sunscreen atleast 20 minutes BEFORE you leave the house. Enjoy..and just go with the flow!

A little blow up pool that you can fill with water. Blue Lizard sunblock (it doesn't sting the eyes) and potentially spray-on sunblock for his head if he doesn't like to wear his hat!
Have fun! YOu're going to get some of the cutest pictures of him on the beach, I love looking at my daughter in her little swimsuit with the ocean and everything, it's the best!

Here is another great product for you to look into:
http://www.shadeusa.com/beach_cabanas.htm#KIDS%20SUN%20DOME

Definitely bring a cooler of snack/drinks for your 2 1/2yr old and if he's like my son, plenty of trucks and buckets!

You have a lot of great suggestions - you'll be great! Enjoy!

Along with Sue P's suggestions, I would also recommend a separate diaper bag just for the beach, including a spare towel to be used only when diaper changing. This way you always have a sand-free spot to do diaper changes. We also had a clamshell tent, which was really helpful.

Go to the dollar store and buy a small blow-up pool. Fill it with ocean water and keep by the blanket. Put toys in and place an umbrella over it. It works great!

Hi L.,
We have had our son to the beach every year since he was born--the first time he was about 6 mos. old.
SUNSCREEN, HATS, UMBRELLAS, beach quilt/blanket for the beach. Is your house ON the beach? When ours was, we bought a cheap canopy and set it up on the beach the first day and it was a godsend! I also took a bath sponge mat for the tub for my son.
You can rent a lot of baby gear from beach rental companies--crib, highchair, sand stroller, gates, etc. Pretty reasonable rates. Rent linens (sheets & towels) if not provided by house/condo--you won't have to pack & take there & bring back.
Book,s toys, etc. A portable DVD payer if you are driving will be invaluable. Monitor, wipes, etc. DVD's CD's etc. You will probably need less than you think you will. If you have laundry facilities, just take a few of each basic and you can do laundry there.
So--rent what you can and pack as light as you can. Have fun and bring your camera!!!!!

Pop up sun shade and a hat with a strap. Also, take lots of batteries, because you will want to be taking pictures like crazy. We also took a little piece of that rubbery shelf liner stuff for him to sit on in the regular tub... at home we still use the infant tub, but we didn't want to take it there. The shelf line kept him from slipping on the tub bottom. Sunscreen is important, but even with sunscreen they shouldn't be out that long.

we just got from the beach. i would recommend the beach tent from one step ahead. just bring a large towel/blanket for the floor of the tent. you can also get spf bathing suits and hats from this site.
also, see if you can rent a beach stroller or bring a jogger stroller.
have fun!!

We always bring along a small 1 ring blow up pool and fill it with water while on the beach. It always helped keep my daughters occupied and cool at the same time. good luck and have fun.

Besides the typical snacks, drinks and sunscreen, I loved the beach tent we had! Helped to keep my triplets cooler!

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HarrisburgPAChat

we took my son to the beach when he was 4-months old. we were only going for the day so we were very unprepared and had to go shopping!! here's my mini-list

*hat
*sunscreen
*t-shirt & long-sleeve cotton shirt
*lil swimmers
*washcloth(to get the sand off)
*cover his carseat with a towel so the sun isn't beaming down on it
*towel
*umbrella
*baby bottle filled with water
*first aid kit

GOOD LUCK & HAVE FUN!!

H.

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The most important thing will be to protect your baby from the sun and heat.

Regular sun hats are great and stylish and cute...but a UV Hat is truly necessary to protect your little one's delicate scalp, eyes and face. I continue to wear UV hats on my little boy, and he has been to the beach, all over the US six times in his young four years and never had sunburn:

http://www.solartex.com/servlet/-strse-396/My-Pool-Pal-ha...

While the canopy ideas are great, the material they are made out of is not UV protected. I always travel to the beach with a UV tent:

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2265799

And a full body bathing suit that has the UV material was something I always used for my son. Regular fabrics only provide an spf of 3...so if you choose to not buy a UV bathing suit, remember to put sunscreen on every part of your baby, no matter of that part will be covered by fabric or not.

Skin cancer is such a huge risk to take, when simple steps can be taken to prevent it. A lot of products are endorsed by the American Cancer Research Center, and those are the products I'd always look for...

The baby's scalp is most vulnerable...I always used Tender Scalp:

http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Blanket-Tender-Scalps-Sunscree...

Good luck, have a great time and be safe!

Whatever you do-DON'T let him get too much son at that age!!!!!!!! Sun block is hard, and maybe not good for his skin either, so keep him under an umbrella and shade. He shouldn't get more than 10-20 minutes of sun on his unprotected skin per day-maybe less if rays are reflecting off water, and DO NOT let his skin get pink. It's REALLY important, he's tiny and his skin is young and raw.